New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told singer Ed Sheeran that he considers rapper Macklemore’s claim that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinian Arabs in Gaza to constitute hate speech, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Kraft conveyed his position during a 40-minute phone conversation with Sheeran, according to the report. Macklemore had been scheduled to perform before Sheeran at Gillette Stadium, Kraft’s Boston-area venue, on September 25 and 26.
A dispute erupted after Macklemore used his opening performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month to call for a “Free Palestine." The rapper also said that promoting that message to large American audiences was among his reasons for participating in Sheeran’s tour.
Macklemore announced Monday that he had been dropped from the tour following the backlash. He alleged that Kraft had spoken with Sheeran and threatened to cancel the singer’s planned concerts if Macklemore remained part of the lineup.
Kraft subsequently issued a statement explaining his decision to bar Macklemore from Gillette Stadium. He cited the rapper’s “recent actions" on stage as well as “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community."
“I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same - peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate," Kraft said in his statement.
According to the Journal, Kraft told Sheeran that Macklemore would not perform at his stadium. Kraft expressed sympathy for Palestinian Arabs but said Hamas was the central problem in the conflict and characterized Macklemore’s statements as hate speech.
The report further said that other NFL team owners were prepared to cancel Sheeran’s concerts if Macklemore remained on the tour.
Sheeran addressed the controversy earlier this week and said the decision to remove Macklemore was not his. He said he had spent the previous week attempting to resolve the dispute after venues warned that they would withdraw from his concerts if the rapper continued as an opening act.
“I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than everything that was said," Sheeran said. “I spoke with venues at length all week to try and build a bridge. One of those people was Robert Kraft."
Sheeran also said Macklemore’s contract was with the concert promoter, rather than with Sheeran himself, and that the promoter ultimately decided to remove him from the tour. At the same time, Sheeran praised Macklemore’s “strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes."
The dispute also resulted in several other artists who had been scheduled to support Sheeran withdrawing from the tour.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)